I’ve asked myself that question more times than I can count. Building a new design. Working with a potential client. Buying something hoping I can resell it. Launching something new. Trying a different direction in business. Creating content without knowing whether 100 people or 1,000,000 people will see it. Putting money into something without knowing whether that money is coming back. But over the years, I’ve realized something: Maybe we’re asking the wrong question. Instead of: “What if I try and fail?” Ask: “What happens if I’m so afraid of failing that I never really try?” Why wouldn’t you give it a go? Why wouldn’t you take the swing? Why wouldn’t you FAIL FASTER? FAILURE USED TO MEAN SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO ME. When I was younger, failure meant: Looking dumb. Losing money. Letting somebody down. Having somebody say: “See, I told you it wouldn’t work.” I think that’s where a lot of entrepreneurs get stuck. We’re not always afraid of the actual failure. We’re afraid of the audience watching us fail. What will my family think? What will my friends say? What will my old coworkers think? What will people on Facebook say? What if everybody sees me try and it doesn’t work? But as I’ve grown as an entrepreneur, business owner and man, my definition of failure has completely changed. Failure isn’t the opposite of success. Failure is part of becoming successful. Failure teaches you things success never could. It exposes weaknesses. It forces you to adapt. It makes you ask better questions. It shows you what doesn’t work. And if you’re willing to learn from it, you don’t walk away empty-handed. You walk away with INFORMATION. And information has value. I’VE RISKED A LOT TO BUILD THE LIFE I’M BUILDING. I’ve risked a career. I’ve risked money. I’ve sacrificed time with my family. I’ve put hours into ideas that went nowhere. I’ve created things I thought would work that absolutely didn’t. I’ve created content for years. Some of it got a couple hundred views. Some got thousands.

THE BLACK FOLDER SOCIETY - OFFICIAL CASE FILE CASE NUMBER: BW-26-0822-001 CASE: THE LAST GUEST VICTIM: Evelyn Margaret Blackwood LOCATION: Blackwood House, Bellweather, Pennsylvania INCIDENT DATE: August 22, 2026 STATUS: OPEN / ACTIVE AUTHORIZED BY: The Keeper, Custodian of The Black Folder Society

I’ve heard people say they’re afraid to start over. I get it. I’ve done it. After 18 years, I walked away from my career. I walked away from the paycheck. I walked away from the security. I walked away from what I had been for almost two decades. And I stepped fully into building businesses and becoming a true entrepreneur. But here’s something I’ve realized: I didn’t actually start over. Because starting over isn’t starting from zero. The foundation was already there. The experience was there. The knowledge was there. The work ethic was there. My faith was there. There were already pieces scattered all over the table. I just had to learn how to connect the dots. Was it easy? Hell no. My confidence took hits. My health has taken hits. Business hasn’t always been pretty. And one of the hardest things has been waking up some mornings and simply not knowing what’s next. There’s fear. Fear of failing. Fear of not succeeding. Fear that maybe you’re behind while you’re watching somebody else win. I don’t think those fears ever completely disappear. I think the things we’re afraid of just change as we grow. But I had something bigger than the fear. There was no option to quit. I’m married with three kids. My family comes first, no matter what. There’s only ONE thing ahead of them, and that’s God. So when life changes, you adapt. You rebuild. You learn. You grow. You build it stronger. And I’m fortunate enough to have an incredible teammate beside me...my wife. Would I change anything? Not really. Maybe I would’ve done it sooner. Maybe before the kids. Maybe when they were younger. But even then, I don’t know if I would change it. Because every part of the journey built something I needed for the next part. And that’s the part people forget when they think they’re “starting over.” You’re bringing the lessons with you. Failure taught me things success never could. That’s why I believe you need to fail faster so you can succeed quicker. Stop being terrified of getting it wrong.

You’ve made it halfway through the week. Maybe Monday didn’t go as planned. Maybe Tuesday tested your patience. Maybe you’re already tired and wondering if you’ve done enough. But hear this: A rough start does not decide how you finish. You don’t need to fix everything today. Just take the next step...the phone call, the post, the workout, the prayer, the uncomfortable decision you’ve been avoiding. Small progress is still progress. Slow movement is still movement. And showing up when you don’t feel like it is where real growth begins. Take a breath. Reset your focus. Finish this week stronger than you started it. What is ONE thing you’re committing to finish before Friday? Clarity • Mindset • Motivation J2 Profit Pulse